Valley Headlines

Changes in wine biz

SF Chronicle. Several best-selling CA wine brands to be sold in major industry shake-up. 
Synopsis: The Wine Group, based in Livermore but making most of its wine in our Valley, is buying several Constellation Brands labels -- Woodbridge, Simi, Meiomi, Cook’s and Robert Mondavi Private Selection. The Wine Group makes about 40 million cases, but that number will go up with the new additions. The sale is “signaling a wine industry in serious trouble,” writes the Chron, noting Constellation’s sales had fallen 14% in a year and Vintage Wine Estates went into bankruptcy. These are Constellation’s lowest-priced bottles, selling for around $11. Constellation tried to sell the labels to E&J Gallo, but the Federal Trade commission blocked the sale. Lodi’s Woodbridge winery can produce 12 million cases a year, but has been producing only 9 million.

Ag Net West. Wine retailers say new tariffs could hurt US industry.
Synopsis: The National Assn of Wine Retailers is warning that higher tariffs and consumer backlash in nations like Canada and France could result in lower wine sales. Their greatest fear is that higher wine prices will result in people buying less wine. The industry is “beseeching” the Trump administration to remove tariffs.
MAD Take: Wonder how much it a good “beseeching” costs?  

New rules on flags in Merced

Merced Focus. Merced revises flag policy: ‘I just don’t see that as the role of government’
Synopsis: On a 4-3 vote, the city council followed councilmember Shane Smith’s advice and now will require a councilmember to initiate the flying of any flag over the newly remodeled Bob Hart Square. Smith tried to find a compromise position that would allow organizational flags to be honored but not expose the city to complaints over free speech, favoritism or bias. Pragmatically, he noted, “If it doesn’t work, we can always change it after the fact.” The necessity for rules followed a request from someone (not clear who) that the city fly the Satanic flag. Sarah Boyle and Darin DuPont voted against the resolution, feeling that only US and state flags should be flown. Fue Xiong also voted against it.

Protests, large and small

Merced County Times. Local protesters say: ‘Hands Off! Merced fights back!’
Exactly 537 Merced residents gathered at Courthouse Park last Saturday to protest President Trump’s “attack on American rights and freedoms.” They lined both sides of M Street between the Superior Court and MERCO building, waving signs and chanting for 2 hours. While most motorists honked in solidarity, one person raised a single finger.

Turlock Journal. One-man protest in Turlock highlights nationwide ‘Hands Off!’ movement.
Synopsis: Nick Patterson sat outside the Turlock post office with a sign reading “End Tariffs” last Saturday. The former Republican brought his own chair. He preferred protesting in Turlock to joining larger groups in Modesto and Merced because Turlock is his hometown. He said many passersby agreed with him, but most who didn’t were civil and they engaged in polite conversation.

FUSD’s last chance

GV Wire. This is Fresno Unified’s last chance to get it right. 
Synopsis: Award-winning editorial writer Bill McEwen dusts off his keyboard to make “a simple request of Fresno Unified trustees. … Check your egos, alliances and prejudices at the door.” Bill reminds us that every trustee says exactly the same thing in pondering each decision: “It’s about the kids.” Then adds, “In the state’s third-largest school district, it’s rarely – if ever – about the students.” That’s why the district is one of the worst-performing in the state. He calls that a “betrayal of our community’s children.” Bill finishes with this: “If the next superintendent fails, the community will have no choice but to demand that FUSD be split into smaller districts more attuned to student needs.”
MAD Take: Aside from the merits of the editorial, it’s good to see a well-stated, smart, tough bit of opinion writing.

Refusing even $1 for homeless

Turlock Journal. We Care shelter faces funding crisis as Turlock Council rejects $1 approval.
Synopsis: Councilmembers Amy Bublak, Cassandra Abram and Kevin Bixel voted not to spend a single dollar last Tuesday, “and as a result the We Care homeless shelter could lose out on $267,000 in state funds.” The $1 symbolic show of support was required to qualify for state funding. Now, the money could go to Modesto. Monez said she wants to see the city’s dirty streets, substance abuse and public defecation addressed before helping any homeless person. Board member Greg Bava says without the funding We Care will be out of business next year. Supervisor Vito Chiesa is looking for a compromise. Julie Fox called the council’s action “an abomination of leadership,” adding, “I am ashamed -- ashamed – of what I see going on here.”

Lifestyles of commissioners

SF Standard. Insurance chief lives large on campaign cash as homes burn.
Synopsis: Insurance commissioner Ricardo Lara lives well, as detailed in this story by Josh Koehn. The fancy dinner, fine wines, fancy cocktails, etc. are charged to a campaign fund he established to run for lieutenant governor – though he never filed any papers. The story says Lara, who some say is unelectable after the fires and skyrocketing insurance costs, is now “using what appears to be a shell campaign committee to pay for nearly $30,000 in meals and drinks at some of the country’s fanciest restaurants and bars.” But he doesn’t pay for all his meals. He lets the CEO of Farmers and other industry insiders pick up some of the checks. Carmen Balber of Consumer Watchdog calls it “disappointing.” She also notes, “If this wasn’t a campaign meeting, then what is the campaign committee? Nothing more than a slush fund.”

Things to do this weekend

Modesto Bee. Popular spring tour returning to Modesto.
Synopsis: On April 12, the Modesto Garden Club’s Spring Tour will bring visitors to five “landscapes” around Modesto, including the club’s demonstration garden on 14^th Street. Tickets are $25 with proceeds benefiting the Aileen Gallo Memorial Clock, downtown flowerpots and Gallo Center plantings.

Modesto Bee. Families can paddle, fish and bike along Tuolumne River at Modesto RecFest. 
Synopsis: This is the fifth year for an event hosted by the Tuolumne River Trust to “showcase this under-visited area.” Organizers are still looking for volunteers.

Ex-student now principal

Patterson Irrigator. New principal at Apricot Valley.
Synopsis: Ramiro Flores has been named principal at Apricot Valley Elementary. Superintendent Reyes Gauna applauded Flores’ “student-centered decision making and deep commitment to academic excellence.” Flores listed all five of his PCLUSD alma maters and recalled growing up in the Walnut Camp housing authority. He said he fell in love with school, which is why he became a teacher.

Williamson Act ripoffs?

KVPR. After Fresnoland investigation, Bredefeld launches inquire into Fresno County’s Williams Act.
Synopsis: Supervisor Garry Bredefeld wants to re-evaluate Williamson Act property tax relief after learning from reporting by the organization Fresnoland that almost a billion dollars has been “diverted” from public projects to the owners of Westside mega-farms. Bredefeld says he wants to claw that money back from hedge funds and banks because the county needs it. Each year, Williamson Act exempts farmland from taxation, saving landowners roughly $50 million. The biggest recipient of those breaks was the Canadian Royal Police, which got a $1.6 million credit. Meanwhile, small farmers are mostly unable to take advantage. The county could vote to withdraw from the Act as a few counties have.  

‘Nature’s lawnmowers’ expensive

Western Farm Press. How to use sheep to manage vegetation at solar farms, boost agriculture. 
Synopsis: It’s called “solar grazing” when you send sheep into a field covered by solar panels. These “natural lawnmowers” are used on massive farms from Washington to Bakersfield. The panels provide shade for sheep and shelter when it rains. A sheepherder in Wyoming wants to turn his 4,700-acre ranch into a giant solar farm. Another side benefit: The more sheep you use, the less you pollute with gas mowers.
MAD Take: This is a great story that sounds like win after win. But in California the state’s overtime rules lack an exemption for shepherds, who must live close to their flocks. What had been a budding industry to reduce mowing and fire hazards is now dying due to the cost of OT. We read all about that yesterday in Ag Alert.

Bird-flu vaccine for cows

Farms.com. USDA funds nasal vaccines to stop bird flu spread.
Synopsis: The USDA has given the University of Maryland $650K to develop a nasal-squirt vaccine for both cows and humans that will protect against H5N1 transmission. The researchers are Xiaoping Zhu and Wenbin Tuo. Spraying a cow’s nasal cavity (cavum nasi, aka snout) neutralizes the virus before it enters the respiratory system. Probably works in human snouts, too.

Successful Farming. USDA to lose bird flu response employees, source says.
Synopsis: The Supreme Court’s decision to back the firings of 6,000 USDA employees will result in “straining the federal capacity to monitor the spread of the (bird flu) virus.” Workers at the Dept of Health & Human Services involved in tracking and treating bird flu also were fired last week.

MC’s 20,000 students

Merced Focus. Merced College on track to achieve largest-ever student enrollment, officials say.
Synopsis: College President Chris Vitelli said enrollment has exceeded 18,000 and will break that record this year. That is a huge turn-around from 2020, when the college saw a significant dip. The school awarded 3,300 certs and degrees this year. He also noted grads matriculated to (in order) Stan State, Fresno State, UC Merced, Sac State and SF State. Developers Larry and Georgeann Anderson were presented the President’s Medallion for their role in creating the Los Banos Campus by donating 125 acres. Also mentioned was MC’s new AgTEC Innovation Center, which will be officially opened April 17 in Merced. Rep. Adam Gray will be the keynote speaker at that ceremony.

Dolly sends books to kids

ABC30. Dolly Parton Imagination Library offering free books in Madera Co.
Synopsis: Madera County kids will be able to sign up for free books with help from Dolly Parton, United Way and First Five. Every month, starting at birth, kids will get a free book in the mail. It stops at age 5. The goal is to raise literacy rates. 

Social justice report

Modesto Bee. Report calls for economic justice in Stanislaus County’s underserved communities.
Synopsis: After two years of meetings, discussions and taking surveys in Turlock, Modesto, Patterson and Grayson, the West Modesto Collaborative is offering “The People’s Plan for Economic Justice.” Perfecto Munoz says it focuses on civic engagement, economic and social health, transportation, equity, housing and climate resilience. It’s based on surveys of 289 people, mostly Latinas under the age of 59.

That’s a good pizza pie

Merced Sun Star. Merced pizza shop gets high rating from local reviewer. 
Synopsis: Damien Wilson, a Realtor with PMZ, has been ranking pies on Facebook’s Pizzaholic for years. The site has 314,000 members. Wilson says Little Oven Pizza in Merced is the second-best he’s ever eaten, anywhere. Only Tony’s Pizza in San Francisco rates higher. Little Oven makes most of its ingredients from scratch and suggests the Peppa Fig pie with bacon, fig jam, jalapeno, honey and goat cheese. Plan for take-out, because LOP has only 15 seats. For the record, Wilson’s list has pizzas from Honolulu, San Diego and Washington with pies from Tracy, Escalon and Riverbank sprinkled in.